Emergency heater



Filed July 14, 1927 M5 b I BY M AM ATTORN Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM A. BROWN, 0]? PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

EMERGENCY HEATER.

Application filed July 14, 1927. Serial No. 205,597.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of emergency electricheaters generally known as convection heaters, wherein by the use of oneor more flues surrounding a heating unit, a positive circulation of hotair is generated.

Devices of this character in the past have used opaque cylinders ofmetal and the like and have either-depended for their effectivenesssolely upon the circulation of hot air induced by the cylinder aroundthe heating unit, or, by the addition of a reflector surrounding theheating unit within the cylinder enclosing the appliance, have attemptedto create a radiant efl'ect induced by the high temperature transmittedto the top of the metal cylinder and its adjacent parts by thisreflected heat. Such a construction employing a reflector within theflue surrounding the heating unit to accomplish this radiant eflectautomatically lowers the efliciency of the device as a convection heaterby shunting the cold air entering the base of the appliance away fromthe incandescent unit which has been baflled by this reflector, therebyslowing up the thermal action of the air within the cylin der. It is anaccepted fact that the proper place to heat a flue to induce thermalaction throughout its length is at or near the bottom and not at thetop.

In none of these devices has there been any thought or intention ofproviding a means whereby the incandescence of the heating unit would bevisible at all times and radiant heat delivered by the device throughthe medium of the heat rays thrown out by the unit upon reaching thisincandescent state.

In my device I surround my heating unit with transparent or translucentflue or flues, preferably of glass, to provide full visibility of theincandescence of the glowing heating unit at all times, which in turngives me a complete radiating effect through the medium of the heat raysthrown out by my visible unit and without sacrificing any of theeffectiveness of my device as a circulating hot air or convectionheater.

By the use of transparent or translucent flue or flues surrounding'theheating unit to provide full visibility of the incandescence of theglowing unit at all times and thereby permitting the heat rays of thisvisible unit to be thrown out in all directions at all times, I am ableby the addition of a polished reflector, preferably of mirrored glass,mounted on either side of my transparent or translucent flue or flues,to intensify and concentrate the full radiating effect of theincandescent heating unlt 1n any given space desired.

This reflected radiant effect of my device is instantly perceptible assoon as the heating unit reaches an incandescent state. By placmg myreflector outside of my flue, my heating unit may then be placed in anunobstructed position at or near the lower portion of the flue and as noreflector is used inside of the flue to bafiie the thermal actioninduced within the flue by the incandescence of the unit, I am able toobtain a maximum circulation of hot air within the flue throughout mostof its length and without sacrificing any of the effectiveness of theheat rays generated and thrown out by the incandescent unit andintensified and concentrated by the reflector which I place on theoutside of the flue.

As I do not depend on the reflected radiating effect of my heating unitto heat the room in which my device is placed and as I obtain theresults desired more from the great volume of hot air which iscirculated within the device when I surround my heating unit with aflue, I have found it desirable in some cases in practice to limit thereflected radiating effect of my device by the use of a plurality offlues of varying densities properly spaced to provide an insulating wallof moving air between their surfaces, and the unpleasant condition ofintense reflected radiated heat which is present in devices of thischaracter may be controlled in my device without in any way affectingthe visibility of the glowing unit and its psychological effect upon theuser of my device. My reflected radiating effect is used primarily tocreate this favorable psychological condition of instant warmth to theuser of my device during that interval necessary for the circulating hotair, or convection heat, induced by the flue surrounding the heatingunit, to thoroughly and evenly heat the room.

As my device depends more on the circulating hot air, or convectionheat, which it generates than on the reflected radiating eflectobtained, for heating the room in which it is mounted as stated above,and as I may vary the capacity of my heating unit to increase ordecrease the amount of hot air generated by it and as it is evident thata high capacit unit will create a more intense radiating e feet than alow capacity unit, I limit, as stated above, the intensity of thereflected radiant heat by the number, density and spacing of the flues Iemploy to surround the heating unit.

In other words, if my heating unit is of high capacity and the reflectedradiating effect is too intense to be desirable, by merely adding anadditional one or two flues properly spaced so as to provide a currentof air between the surfaces of these flues, I can decrease or increasethe intensity of thisreflected radiant heat at will, depending solely onthe number and character of the flucs used and the air space betweenthese flues, and without aflecting the efficiency of my device withregard to the convection heatgenerated and circulated by it, and withoutlosing any of the psychological effect obtained in having heincandescent state of the heating unit visible at all times to the userof the device.

It will be evident from the foregoing that by the use of a reflector incombination with transparent or translucent flue or flues surrounding anincandescent heating unit, I have devised a compact, extremelyefficient, radiant convection heater suitable-for use anywhere in anytype of building which will give in use the desirable results of instantwarmth to be obtained from reflected radiant heat efl'ectivesimultaneously with a positive circulation of a large volume of hot airfor thoroughly, evenly and quickly heating the room, which is impossiblewith reflected radiant heat alone.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown in theaccompanying drawings forms thereof which are at present preferred byme, since they will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results,although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities ofwhich my invention consists can be variously arranged and organized andthat my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement andorganization of these instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation partially in section of a combinedradiant convection heater with reflector embodying invention, taken online 1.'1 of Fig. 2, the front portion of the flues and the supportbeing in section, the rest of the figure being in elevation. 7 I

Fig. 2 represents a plan view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, the flues andreflector being in section.

Fig. 3 represents a double adaptation of the elements of Fig. 1, whereinI use two units, each having a single flue and the pair being backed bya single reflector.

Fig. trepresents a plan view taken on line H of Fig. 8.

Fig. 5 is an adjustable hinge with the two maximum adjusting positionsshown in dot and dash as used in Figs. 3 and 4.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in allfigures. Referring to the drawings:

1 designates the outer flue; 2 designates the inner flue surrounding theheating unit 3 which is screwed into the standard socket 4 which isattached by the nipple 5 to the top of the junction box 6, the nipple 7connecting the junction box 6 to the wall bracket 8 which is in turnattached to the wall plate 9 by the screws 10. The spider 13 holds theflues 1 and 2 and the reflector 11 which is held in place by the hooks12 which are a part of the reflector support 11 which is held inposition on the spider 13 by the thumb screw 15.

The flues 1 and 2 are held in concentric assembly by means of the rods14 and nuts or buttons 16 and 16 The nut or button 16 may be tapped asshown to receive the lower end of the rod 1 1, which may be threaded,thereby enabling the user of the device to remove the fines in theirassembled state merely by unscrewing the wing nut or thumb screw 15which serves to hold the flues in an upright position on the spider 13.

The set screw 13 is used to hold the spider 13 rigidly upon the socket4: and also to secure the socket 4 in a stationary position upon thenipple 5. The deflector 17 is placed in a space between the flues 1 and2 and is self-locating on account of its shape and is used to divert theheated air from the wall. The heating unit is controlled by the pullchain 18 or its equivalent.

In Fig. 3 I show a modification of Fig. 1 applicable to table or floordevices and having two flues and two heating units, each fluesurrounding a heating unit, in combination with a single reflector 11,the heating units being individually controlled by pull chains 18 ortheir equivalent. It is of course evident that a reflector may be usedwith each flue if desired. In Fig. 3 the entire fixture is supported bythe elongated pipe 20 on the base 21.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of this dual combination shown in Fig. 3 with a.section taken on line 4- through the locking screws 13. The singlereflector is mounted on two opposite spider arms 13 by means of thesupports 11 and is held in place by the hooks 12, it being evident thatthe reflector 11 can be slipped out of the hooks 12 for cleaning orreplacement.

Fig. 5 is my adjustable hinge 22 having a movable joint directly belowthe junction box 6 rotating on the bolt 23 and held in any position bythe thumb screw 24 in the yoke 25 which is attached to the upright 20 asshown in Fig. 3 and which may be applied if desired to Fig. 1. Theadjustment of this joint permitsthe flue or flues to be canted away fromthe wall, thereby protecting the wall from undue temperature. On thefloor and table fixtures, it enables the user to deflect the hot air inany desired direction. The position wished for may be maintained by thewing nut 24.

It will be evident that the socket 4: which holds the unit 3 and theflues which surround the socket and unit, may be canted stationary onthe junction box-6 to obtain the same effect which is obtained by theadjustable joint 22 shown in Fig. 5.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a novel and usefulconstruction of a combined radiant convection heater with reflectorwhich embodies features of advantage enumerated as desirable in thestatement of the invention and the above description, and While I havein the present instance shown and described preferred embodimentsthereof which have been found in practice to give satisfactory andreliable results, it is to be understood that the same are susceptibleof modification in various particulars without departing from the spiritor scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a combined radiant convection heater with reflector, a support, anelectric heating unit mounted thereon, a transparent flue surroundingsaid unit to form a convection heat- -er, said reflector being mountedoutside of 2. In a combined radiant convection heater with reflector, asupport, an electric heating unit mounted thereon, a transparent fluesurrounding said unit to form a convection heater, said reflector beingmounted outside of said flue, means for adjusting said heating unit,flue and reflector on said support.

3. In a combined radiant convection heater with reflector, a support, anelectric heating unit mounted thereon, a plurality of transparent fluessurrounding said unit to form a convection heater, said reflector beingmounted outside of said flues, means for adjusting said heating unit,flues and reflector on said support.

4. In a combined radiant convection heater with reflector, a support, anelectric heating unit mounted thereon, a plurality of translucent fluessurrounding said unit to form a convection heater, said reflector beingmounted outside of said flues.

5. In a combined radiant convection heater with reflector, a support, anelectric heating unit mounted thereon, a plurality of transparent ortranslucent flues surrounding said unit to form a convection heater,said reflector being mounted outside of said flues, in combination witha deflector mounted at the top of said flues.

6. In a combined radiant convection heater with reflector, a support, anelectric heating unit mounted thereon, a translucent flue sur roundingsaid unit to form a convection heater, said reflector being mountedoutside of said flue.

7. In a combined radiant convention heater with reflector, an adjustablesupport, a plurality of electric heating units mounted thereon, one ormore transparent or translucent flues surrounding said units to form aconvection heater, said reflector being mounted outside of said flue orflues, means for controlling said heating units independently.

8. In a combined radiant convection heater with a reflector, a support,an electric heating unit mounted thereon, a transparent or translucentflue surrounding said unit to form a convection heater, said reflectorbeing mounted outside of said flue, in combination with a deflectorsupported to be positioned at the top of said flue.

WILLIAM A. BROWN.

